Used BMW 1 Series E81 Spares For Sale

About The BMW 1 Series E81

Given the not-so-exciting sales numbers of the Series 3 Compact, it was decided to give it an heir to satisfy its customers’ tastes and needs better. Thus began the E87 project, aimed at creating the first generation of the 1 Series.

The mechanical base would have maintained rear-wheel drive, and the unprecedented flatbed would have been the basis for the future generation of the 3 Series, cancelling the synergies with the new Mini, which would have involved the conversion to front-wheel drive.

In 2002, at the Geneva Motor Show, BMW presented the CS1 concept car, a convertible which, especially in the front and sides, clearly anticipated the style of the new model. During the summer of the same year, the press was surprised by the prototypes disguised during road tests. A Rover Mg project developed in Longbridge, which was in BMW orbit then, was used for the line and development.

Design

The first generation of the 1 Series did not want to present itself as a shortened version of the 3 Series, as had been done up to that point with the two generations of the Compact.

It was confirmed that the platform of the E87 would be used for constructing the fifth generation of the Series 3, namely the E90, after lengthening the wheelbase. Still, the aesthetic impact of the first Series 1 hinted at the desire to detach itself stylistically from the ” older sister. Created by the team led by Chris Bangle, not even the aesthetics of the first generation of the Series 1 failed to make arguments and divisions between supporters and detractors due to the mixture of edges and curves and the particular proportions given to the car body.

The front, vertical and not sloping at all, exhibited a grille with the classic double kidney and optical groups with a teardrop design composed of dual circular headlights in pure BMW style, but with a slightly less aggressive design, with a broad ” mouth “on the bumper, on the sides of which were the two round fog lights.

The side view made it possible to observe the unusual balance between front and rear, given by a relatively long engine hood and a decidedly collected rear area on the back. Here you can also see the angular cuts on the belt line and the sill area and the inevitable Hofmeister “elbow” on the third pillar.

The tail is also angular, with clear and decisive cuts both in the boot lid area and in the vaguely trapezoidal rear light clusters themselves. The interior was spacious only in the front seats. At the same time, behind the, habitability was sacrificed due to the transmission tunnel and the rear passenger compartment that interfered with the rear wheel arch, making access to the rear seats more challenging.

The driving position was characterized by an almost vertical steering wheel and a central tunnel developed in width, behind which the iDrive device command could be placed, supplied as standard in the higher models and only on request in the E87.

The dashboard was a tubular structure with a sound-absorbing coating. The quality of the materials, especially in the upholstery, the parcel shelf and the storage compartments, and the completely visible seat rails, was not optimal.

Structure, mechanics and engines

Since its debut, the 1 Series had a noticeable peculiarity that made it unique compared to all the other C-segment models, namely its mechanical architecture, which provided for the front engine in a longitudinal position and, as a tradition for all BMW models, rear-wheel drive.

It was, therefore, an atypical case, an absolute exception in the compact landscape, all with front-wheel drive or at most with all-wheel movement in the case of some sports models (the Audi S3, for instance).

This has largely contributed to a perfect weight distribution between front and rear (50% -50%) and consequent superior road stability. But other expedients also contributed to this excellent result: the aluminium alloy front end and the displacement of components such as the battery, which in the E87 was placed under the luggage compartment.

The suspension geometry included a McPherson-type front end and a five-link multilink rear end. Also present are coil springs, telescopic hydraulic shock absorbers and anti-roll bars on both axes. The four-disc braking system featured self-ventilating front discs with a diameter of 292 mm and solid rear discs with a diameter of 300 mm.

The picture was completed by run-flat tires (optional) and rack-and-pinion steering with hydraulic power steering. At its debut, the E87 was available in four engines, two petrol and two diesel: 116i, with a 1596 cm³ engine capable of delivering a maximum power of 115 HP; 120i, with a 1995 cm³ engine capable of delivering up to 150 HP of full power; 118d, with a standard rail turbodiesel engine, with a displacement of 1995 cm³ and with a total capacity of 122 HP; 120d, with the same engine as the 118d, but with power increased to 163 HP. While the 116i was equipped with a 5- speed manual gearbox, the other versions were fitted with a 6-speed manual gearbox instead.

Preparations

There were three trim levels provided for the E87 on its debut: Eletta : basic level already including a more than worthy standard equipment, and including, among other things, the height-adjustable front seats, the fog lights, the automatic climate control, the radio with CD player and the 16 -inch alloy wheels in the 120i and 120d versions ; Active : intermediate level, including what has already been seen in the Eletta set -up, but with the addition of the xenon headlights, the headlamp cleaning device, the suspension with sporty calibration, the steering wheel and seats with a sporty design and the 16-inch alloy wheels on all versions; Futura : top level, including what has already been seen in the Attiva set -up except the suspension with sports calibration (which can still be obtained on request), but with the addition of cruise control , the multifunction steering wheel, the self-dazzling exterior mirror, the rear parking sensor, the rain sensor and the external (led) lighting package. The 116i, the primary range version, has a fourth trim level, which is more simplified than the first three. The optional list common to the entire range included: rear athermic windows, leather interior, satellite navigator with DVD player (available in the Business or Professional versions), telephone preparation, heated front seats and electric sunroof. Many of the accessories present in the higher levels are obtainable on request, even in, the lower levels.

Other options, such as the 6-speed Steptronic automatic transmission, were available on request only for the 120i and 120d versions . Evolution The new car was born with the precise intention of rivalling cars such as the Audi A3 and the Alfa Romeo 147, as well as the Volkswagen Golf, all vehicles of the lower-middle class but with high-level fittings and finishes, thus belonging to what it is commonly referred to as the “premium segment”. While sharing practically nothing with the now elderly E46 3 Series, the E87 shared the Regensburg production plant with the largest Bavarian sedan.

Initially, production was started at this site and then expanded to the Leipzig plant in the former GDR. During 2005, the range grew upwards with the arrival of the 130i, powered by a 3-litre petrol engine with a power of 265 HP. For the latter model, absent in the Attiva set-up, however, a new level of set-up was also envisaged, called MSport, with a more sporty setting. Also in 2005, there was the arrival of the 118i, also with a petrol engine, but in this case, it was a weakened variant of the 2-liter 150 bhp mounted on the 120i, a machine whose power, in the case of the 118i, stopped at 129 hp.

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